These are the stories of women, famous, infamous and unknown, who shaped the course of medieval history. The lives and actions of medieval women were restricted by the men who ruled the homes, countries and world they lived in. It was men who fought wars, made laws and dictated religious doctrine. It was men who were taught to read, trained to rule and expected to fight. Today, it is easy to think that all women from this era were downtrodden, retiring and obedient housewives, whose sole purpose was to give birth to children (preferably boys) and serve their husbands. Heroines of the Medieval World looks at the lives of the women who broke the mould: those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Some of the women are famous, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was not only a duchess in her own right but also Queen Consort of France through her first marriage and Queen Consort of England through her second, in addition to being a crusader and a rebel. Then there are the more obscure but no less remarkable figures such as Nicholaa de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the name of King John, and Maud de Braose, who spoke out against the same king’s excesses and whose death (or murder) was the inspiration for a clause in Magna Carta.

Women had to walk a fine line in the Middle Ages, but many learned to survive – even flourish – in this male-dominated world. Some led armies, while others made their influence felt in more subtle ways, but all made a contribution to their era and should be remembered for daring to defy and lead in a world that demanded they obey and follow.

Writing Heroines of the Medieval World has been a wonderful experience. I learned as much about myself as I did about these amazing women from history. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to bring them out of the shadows and tell their stories.

Reviews

And the first reviews are already in. Thanks to the Review blog for being quick off the mark with this fabulous, wonderful, amazing review.

“Sharon has a wonderful way of writing, it appears effortless, easy and utterly fascinating.” Karrie Stone

“The book is written in a friendly, easily readable style that belies the impact and interest of the words, each of which has been carefully considered to ensure that the meaning is clear to any reader of any level and maintain its academic importance and integrity.” Diana Milne.

And from Caroline Angus Baker: “Heroines of the Medieval World is a book that caught my interest the moment I laid eyes on it…this book is a great addition to any library. The author has done a wonderful job and this is a surprisingly easy read…”

Thank Yous

I also owe a huge thank you to author Tony Riches for his wonderful blog post today, highlighting the release of Heroines. What an incredible surprise!

And grateful thanks to Mary Anne Yarde and Louise Wyatt for their wonderful posts celebrating the release of Heroines of the Medieval World.

Guest blog posts

Interviews

Heroines of the Medieval World, is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.